The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-04-07
A Statement frGm sheriff Mad ~


To THE EDITOR OF TIE JUl ENAi o.. last
issue of the journal AN ;liicit all,., 81. ,,,r the
signature Of J. " Mitchell. cnt,lo Waldo c,un.
ty's Rum Bill, conspicuous for the malice 20; the
writer and the falsity OF Ais statements.
ihc writer, after tn examination of the record.
OF criminal costs has singled me ont Il, the chief
and Only offender; wholly responsible for tlc al
legged non enforcement Of the prpllibitory law.
While do not shrink from my full share in this
OF any other matter, shall not Shield nyscl. by
unloading upon other officials, whose obj cations
are as binding ~ my own. Nj. Mitchell state
nitnt that will not, and have declared viii not.
enforce the prohibitory law il absolutely false and
he knew it to be SO when he penncd the words |
have never refused to do MY duty in regard to this
or any other law ANA have ALWAYS promptly and
faithfully served all preccpts which have come
into my possession. Il is true have not resolved
myself into smelling committee, as IL. 10, I'M
oeiHtahd That ii Is incumbent upon me. At the
election held i'll september last the people of this
county had an opportunity t" express their scnti-
ments upon more rigid enforcement of the pro
hil'ltory law. 1T laid election there were thrown
ol12 vote. lli of which We're for prohibitions and
this Mr. Mitchell. This efleryesccnt Prphibitionist
vino has arrogaed to himself the task of reforming.
ami rescuing from crime the people of Belfast
VINO Is bowed with the weight of other mems NOR
ais, was not one OF them. He did not vote the
Prohibition ticket. Nh Mitchell says that 81; is
really hard hearted to ask the sheriff 20 enforce
the lrohhtory law when Sl,9ls.72 IS his yearly
receipts for not doing it, Had he manifested
ibcratcly state talsehood, he would have said
of mi.
the Jail, and the most liberal division that can be
made of it in my behalf, gives me but one-siNth Of
the amount, for my responsibility, trouble and la
Dor Is jailor. And yet this narlot charge, that |
am conniving to rob the people Of this county to
enrich myself
1t is Il well known fact that there is Il elias of
men who infest every city in this state and who
figure so conspicuously DRINKS. but in fac; are
iramps, srho knowing the strmgency of the tramp
law cvade it by feigning drunkenness in order to
obtain 4 sentence in jail when in fact not one in
ten of them could be convicted of drunkenness if
they did not plead guilty ard Of The arrests made
during the year lssG, only forty were citizen, of
TINS county. My position on the tramp question is
well known, and the person above named could
have informed himself, if he had taken one hun
drcdth part the pains that he did TO viilfy abuse
and misrcpresent me. Tie records show t!.at dur
ing the four years was a deputy sheriff and the
four years have been sheriff have not arrested
one tramp. NV deputies have strict orders no; to
meddlc with them unless called upon by the citi-
zens of the county; still these people get into jail
through and by influences wholly outside and be.
You'd my control.
The attempts Of the writer to make it appear
that those men are arrested through my conni-
vance, and that it is evidence that have cons PRED
to defeat the provisions of the prohibitory law is
libel upon myself and those who elected me, Of
such lnehabie meanEess that the source whence it
originated is its own refutation.
ANsEL WADswORTH.
Belfast Anil gth